Trump calls UK PM frontrunner Andy Burnham extremely liberal

Trump calls UK PM frontrunner Andy Burnham extremely liberal

President Donald Trump has offered his first public reaction to the prospect of Andy Burnham becoming Britain's next prime minister, describing the former Mayor of Greater Manchester as extremely liberal and the mayor of a town.

During a meeting on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte, Trump suggested that Burnham probably won’t open up the North Sea for oil exploration. The president claimed the UK is dying and noted that Britain buys oil from Norway, which possesses $2tn (£1.5tn) in the bank.

A source close to the president indicated that Burnham is so unknown to the White House that officials could not pick him out of a police lineup. When asked if he wished to be the first world leader to meet Burnham should he take over at No 10, Trump replied, No, but I think we’re probably of a different persuasion.

Political turmoil in Westminster

Burnham is currently the frontrunner to replace Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour party and prime minister. Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, June 23, 2026, following poor local election results and weak poll ratings. More than 80 Labour MPs had urged Starmer to quit immediately or establish a timetable for his departure.

Instability continued through Thursday, June 26, 2026, as Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the government, stating he had lost confidence in Starmer's leadership. Streeting is speculated to potentially launch a leadership bid of his own.

While Burnham's path to No 10 appears wide open, former armed forces minister Al Carns remains a possible contender. Carns, who resigned earlier in June over defence spending, has called for a proper debate on the future of the country and proposed tests for any contender, including spending 3% of GDP on defence and adding a trillion pounds to UK GDP within ten years.

A strained "Special Relationship"

The relationship between the U.S. And UK has frayed over immigration, freedom of speech, and defence spending. Trump previously attacked Starmer, stating he was no Winston Churchill and claiming he failed badly on energy and immigration policies. Trump also criticized Starmer for initially blocking the use of the Diego Garcia military base for strikes against Iran at the start of the war on February 28.

Although Starmer later authorized the use of the bases and attempted a conciliatory approach—including offering an unprecedented second state visit in 2025—Trump claims he told Starmer 15 times that he would lose his prime ministership if he did not open the North Sea to drilling.

Burnham has a history of criticizing the U.S. President. While campaigning in Makerfield in June, he described American politics as polarised and poisonous. Following the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Burnham posted on X that any UK politician giving Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.

Nato and the Iran Conflict

The president's comments occurred while Mark Rutte was visiting Washington to reduce alliance strains before a July summit in Ankara, Turkey. Trump, who has called Nato a paper tiger, expressed disappointment with the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain for refusing to support the U.S. In the Middle East or assist in reopening the strait of Hormuz.

In April, Trump told The Telegraph that removing the U.S. From Nato was beyond reconsideration. During their meeting, Rutte used cardboard charts to demonstrate increased defence spending by Nato countries since 2017 and praised Trump as the leader of the free world taking responsibility beyond the shores of the United States.

Other European leaders have also looked toward the upcoming summit. French President Emmanuel Macron indicated a moment of re-convergence between Europeans and Americans, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated the Ankara summit should signal that Germany will do its part to support an Iran peace deal.

Burnham could be appointed as prime minister by mid-July.